AOS interview in 2 weeks

[esojrd 0]

We have plans to travel to India at the end of December where we will have a large celebration for our wedding.

If you guys don't get your act together and get more proof of a bonafide marriage you may be staying in India permanently!

Excuses about not having time to open a joint account is BS when your lifes together are at stake.

Good Lord. Try being a bit MORE rude the next time, eh?

to the OP - USCIS likes to see co-mingling of assets. Have you done that at all?

Rude or not, Haole is right on. Instead of trying to save days for a long vacation in December (which might not even happen if you get an interviewer having a bad day) why don't you both take a day off and open a bank account? I would think that would be more important.

[Caladan 19]

If you have your social security number (& it sounds like he must, adjusting off of an L), you should be able to be on each other's leases, even if you're not living there. That would show that you two are essentially maintaining two residences while you finish school. Co-mingling finances is also important; make the time to go to the bank. Things like beneficiaries on policies, joint ownership of cars, etc. will all help.

[bora bora 1]

My husband and I have the following (does this look ok for our AOS interview?):

Photo album and everything else related to our wedding

Cards addressed to us

A lease in both our names

Car insurance in both our names

Two joint bank accounts

Water bill in our names

A joint cell phone account

Insurance together

My husband is my beneficiary for my life insurance

A car title in our names

Oh yea, and we have everything still from the K1 interview and TONSSSS of pictures of us together

Edited December 7, 2007 by Bora Bora

[ausqueen 0]

We have few pictures of us alone (although we have lots group pictures of us and my family).

You got a wide range of answers here... sift through and do all you can to be ready for interview.

As far as pics go... in our recent AOS interview... IO specifically picked out a few GROUP pics. We only had our wedding photos, and she asked who was who, mainly wanting to find out if his (USC) family was there. Of course there were only a few of my people from Sydney. She was less interested in photos of us alone. So, try not to worry too much. You have both. Bring them all. Good luck!

[HomRaz 0]

If you have your social security number (& it sounds like he must, adjusting off of an L), you should be able to be on each other's leases, even if you're not living there. That would show that you two are essentially maintaining two residences while you finish school. Co-mingling finances is also important; make the time to go to the bank. Things like beneficiaries on policies, joint ownership of cars, etc. will all help.

I'm only 19, and alot of my financial things my dad will own until I turn 21, but I did add him to the things I could. Neither of us own cars, so we don't have car insurance, I'm on his health insurance, and we have joint credit cards.

We'll be going to the bank the day before the interview, so that he can add me to his account but I dunno how much that will help.

I don't have a lease because I live with my parents, My dad wrote a sweet letter explaining the situation, and that my husband comes to see me often.

My husband shares an apartment with a bunch of other guys from his office, so I don't think I can be added to the lease.

A few of my friends are writing letters about our relationship.

At this point I'm not very worried about getting Greencard since my husband visa is valid until Nov. 2008 (hopefully my GPA will go up this semester and I can transfer to the school near him), but they can't flat out reject the case right? At most they'll delay it and schedule us for another interview when we provide more evidence, right?.

Edited December 9, 2007 by HomRaz

[HomRaz 0]

We have plans to travel to India at the end of December where we will have a large celebration for our wedding.

If you guys don't get your act together and get more proof of a bonafide marriage you may be staying in India permanently!

Excuses about not having time to open a joint account is BS when your lifes together are at stake.

Good Lord. Try being a bit MORE rude the next time, eh?

to the OP - USCIS likes to see co-mingling of assets. Have you done that at all?

Rude or not, Haole is right on. Instead of trying to save days for a long vacation in December (which might not even happen if you get an interviewer having a bad day) why don't you both take a day off and open a bank account? I would think that would be more important.

I'm freeing up my schedule, but I've added him as a beneficiary on the few financial things I own in my name.

[HomRaz 0]

If you have your social security number (& it sounds like he must, adjusting off of an L), you should be able to be on each other's leases, even if you're not living there. That would show that you two are essentially maintaining two residences while you finish school. Co-mingling finances is also important; make the time to go to the bank. Things like beneficiaries on policies, joint ownership of cars, etc. will all help.

I'm only 19, and alot of my financial things my dad will own until I turn 21, but I did add him to the things I could. Neither of us own cars, so we don't have car insurance, I'm on his health insurance, and we have joint credit cards.

We'll be going to the bank the day before the interview, so that he can add me to his account but I dunno how much that will help.

I don't have a lease because I live with my parents, My dad wrote a sweet letter explaining the situation, and that my husband comes to see me often.

My husband shares an apartment with a bunch of other guys from his office, so I don't think I can be added to the lease.

A few of my friends are writing letters about our relationship.

At this point I'm not very worried about getting Greencard since my husband visa is valid until Nov. 2008 (hopefully my GPA will go up this semester and I can transfer to the school near him), but they can't flat out reject the case right? At most they'll delay it and schedule us for another interview when we provide more evidence, right?.

I should probably rephrase the last thought. I'm worried about the interview, but some have you have scared me enough that I'm almost expecting him not to get a greencard. However, he doesn't have to leave the country if the interview isn't successful right? Do they ever just deny cases? OR do they just ask for more evidence?

[HomRaz 0]

Another question:

We have alot of chat transcripts and emails.. But alot of them are . . . *blush* dirty, I would be embarrased to include them (and more embarrassed if my dad saw them) but if they would prove our case then I will bring them, what do you guys think? Is it necessary to bring them?

[Caladan 19]

If you have your social security number (& it sounds like he must, adjusting off of an L), you should be able to be on each other's leases, even if you're not living there. That would show that you two are essentially maintaining two residences while you finish school. Co-mingling finances is also important; make the time to go to the bank. Things like beneficiaries on policies, joint ownership of cars, etc. will all help.

I'm only 19, and alot of my financial things my dad will own until I turn 21, but I did add him to the things I could. Neither of us own cars, so we don't have car insurance, I'm on his health insurance, and we have joint credit cards.

We'll be going to the bank the day before the interview, so that he can add me to his account but I dunno how much that will help.

I don't have a lease because I live with my parents, My dad wrote a sweet letter explaining the situation, and that my husband comes to see me often.

My husband shares an apartment with a bunch of other guys from his office, so I don't think I can be added to the lease.

A few of my friends are writing letters about our relationship.

At this point I'm not very worried about getting Greencard since my husband visa is valid until Nov. 2008 (hopefully my GPA will go up this semester and I can transfer to the school near him), but they can't flat out reject the case right? At most they'll delay it and schedule us for another interview when we provide more evidence, right?.

It won't be an automatic denial. Almost nothing is automatic. You'd have a chance to appeal.

You being on his health insurance & credit cards are good. The financial co-mingling is good, too. How does your husband travel to see you? By air or train? He should keep the boarding passes and tickets. Basically, we'd be looking for a way to put him in your town. Have you traveled to see him? Same thing.

I don't think you have anything to be scared of. A reason to be extra prepared, yes, but you have proof that you've mingled your finances & insurance & credit ratings, and good reasons (like not owning a car) for the others.

[HomRaz 0]

You being on his health insurance & credit cards are good. The financial co-mingling is good, too. How does your husband travel to see you? By air or train? He should keep the boarding passes and tickets. Basically, we'd be looking for a way to put him in your town. Have you traveled to see him? Same thing.

Oh buddy do I ever! lol I think I've saved confirmation of the emails he's sent me for his train tickets he's booked to come see us since he moved to he US. He also kept his boarding passes. I'm hoping they'll give us a chance to voice our situation, because it does look really bad on paper, but once you get to know the situation it makes alot of sense.

My husband is nervous because the last time he went through the immigration process (for his L1B) he was rejected at his first interview. I'm telling him that it'll be ok, but I just wanted some confirmation so I could reassure him some more. We'll get our answer in 5 days so, its just waiting and making photocopies until them.

Edited December 9, 2007 by HomRaz

[katya_and_besik 0]

) We haven't gotten a chance to change our bank accounts to have joint accounts b/c we only see each other on the weekends (when banks are closed) and we were saving his days off so that he could take a long vacation in December.

commerce bank is open on the weekends

[HomRaz 0]

Hi everyone!

I'm very pleased to say that my husband's Adjustment of Status was approved today at our interview in Newark, New Jersey. My husband added me to his bank account the night before our interview, and we asked for the photocopy of the sheet they wanted us to sign. Additionally, I had my financial planner add my husband as a benificiary on my retirement fund. We also had copies of our credit cards, phone bills, important email conversations, train tickets, bus tickets, our itinerary for our trip to India next month, and from our trip over Labor Day weekend.

Our appointment was scheduled for 8:30 on the 15th floor of 970 Broad St. We arrived in the building about 8:00, cleared security at the Walnut street entrance, and proceded to the 15th floor. When we presented our reciept to the guard who told us that we would have to go to the 13th floor. We took the elevator down two floors and arrived on the 13th floor. There were two people that were standing guard in front of the door we were supposed to enter. Each person had their own podium and they were checking IDs and notices. We were checked and directed to procede towards "Window 1". We appeared at window 1 and waited a few minutes as the women behind the counter organized some papers she was holding. Afterwards she took our notice and instructed us to have a seat and wait for our name to be called. We did not bring cell phones or watches so we did not have any idea of what time it was or how long we were waiting.

We were called in by a gentleman in his 40's with a slight eastern European accent. As you probably know from reading this thread I was extremely nervous about this interview because we were living apart, and had what I felt was limited financial comingling. I thought we would be separated from the get go and viciously questioned. But the officer was very welcoming, and very polite. After we were sworn in he asked for ID, we both showed our passports. My husband's I-94 was not there because it had fallen off the staple in the passport, he asked specifically for that and then stapled it to the file. My husband said that we were planning on going to India next week and might need the card. The officer said that we would not need it, and continued to attach it to the file.

At this point we looked at each other and grinned because we knew this was a good sign. The officer then looked at his I-485, and asked if we both lived at my husband's address. My husband said, no, she goes to college in XXXXXXX so she lives with her parents, He then checked the I-130 and confirmed my address. And confirmed with me, that my parents house is closer, and I said "yes, its only about 5 miles from college" He seemed satisfied with our answer.

He asked my husband where he worked, and then said, "Oh yes, I've heard of them, they're well known, but certainly not well regarded" He asked my husband if his company had filed for his greencard, and he replyed no. He asked if his company applied for an H1B, and my husband said no, they applied for an L1B visa. He said that he's an intracompany transfer, and cannot quit his job unless he goes back to India completes some resignation formalities. Our officer said, "yes, that makes sense."

He asked when we met. We explained that we are from the same town in India, although I was born in the US. My cousins are good friends with my husband, and that we had an arranged marriage. My husband mentioned that he remembered seeing me when I visited the town in 1997, to which I replyed that: "I was only 9 then, so I don't remember him... I think the first memory I have of him is from my trip in 2003" The officer found that hilarious, and laughed with us.

He then asked us for some financial documentation. I explained that since we live apart, we didn't open an account until the previous day since we have to open the account in person. I showed him the papers we signed in the bank the previous day. I also showed him a copy of the contract I signed adding my husband as a benificiary on my retirement policy. I showed him the confirmation printout from their webpage, and mentioned that the company made a mistake and keyed him in as my "sister". The officer found this very funny, and went on to say that he found that very unbelievable since my husband's name is one of the most masculine in the whole world.

He added these documents to the file, and then asked to see some pictures. I told him that I had an album but wanted to remove one photograph of my husband and I where I am not wearing my Hijab (the scarf I wear for religious reasons in front of males that are not: my father, brothers, uncles, grandfathers, husbands, or father in laws). He said that was fine. We went through the pictures together. One of the comments he made was that the ponchos at niagara falls were yellow, not blue, and I said that was b/c we didn't take my husband on the Maid of the Mist, only to Cave of the Wind. I added that he was still bitter about that, and the officer said "don't worry, the view is much better from the Canadian side, so its good that you didn't go, now you can go again and see it from the other side." He finished up our pictures, and gave them back.

He told us that we had assembled a very impressive case, and that he would be approving us. He said that he was relieved to see that my Husband's FBI check had cleared because that usually causes problems with people. He then stamped a bunch of things and then asked when we were planning to go to India. My husband said that we leaving next Saturday and the officer mentioned that we would not get our physical card by then, he said that he would stamp his passport so that he can travel inside and out of the USA, for the next one year. We said that would be great. He then went into details about removing conditions, and said that we should file the forme I 751 around December 1st 2009, so that we would have atleast 2 weeks to fix any problems that might arise. He also added that he knew we had a few problems this time so it would be smart to file it earlier for the permanent card. We both said thank you, and he led us to the exit.

We are both SOO relieved, and now I can go back to buring my head in the pile of books I have to study until next Thursday!